Estonia to Conduct Large-Scale Military Drills with UK, France
More than 1,500 British and French troops will take part in the Estonian Defence Forces' Siil 2025 military exercise, in addition to those already deployed here as part of the NATO battlegroup, the General Staff of the Estonian Defence Forces has announced.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to ERR.
During the deployment operation, which takes place from 14 to 30 April, the armed forces of Britain and France will bring large numbers of their personnel and military equipment to Estonia, practising the rapid deployment of their forces for the defence of Estonia. The main contingent will be the British Army's 4th Brigade, which will bring around 1,500 soldiers to exercise Siil 2025.
The French Armed Forces will bring mainly marine units in addition to the contingent that was already present here before the start of Siil 2025.
The British brigade includes two battalions of light infantry on Foxhound and Mastiff armoured vehicles, as well as a squadron of light cavalry with dragoons on Jackal reconnaissance vehicles. In addition, there is fire support from snipers, artillery, anti-tank and machine guns, as well as engineering and logistics units supporting the brigade, the General Staff of the Estonian Defence Forces explained.
The Allied units will arrive by air, sea and land, practising rapid reinforcement of the NATO battlegroup through various methods of deployment.
‘The arrival of Allies in Estonia is an ideal opportunity to practice the entire reception chain, from ports and airports to the arrival of equipment at their destination,’ said Major Toomas Pärnpuu, Commander of the Movement and Transport Service of the Support Command, who leads the division.
He said the unit's purpose is to ‘ensure the smooth and safe movement of Allies by land, sea and air’.
The Defence Forces have warned that due to the arrival of additional Allied troops, more Allied vehicles and military equipment may appear on Estonian roads at this time than usual. The Defence Forces ask road users to be attentive and understanding of the Defence Forces convoys, which are moving more slowly than usual.
From 5 to 23 May, the international large-scale exercise Siil 2025, organised by the Estonian Defence Forces, will take place across Estonia. More than 16,000 military personnel will take part in the exercise.
The purpose of the exercise is to test the combat readiness of the Defence Forces and their units on an international scale; to test the ability of the Defence Forces to respond to threat scenarios through practical exercises; to practice the rapid and large-scale deployment of allied forces in Estonia; to test the readiness of reservists and the resumption of their military training; and to practice regional measures to counter military threats.
The exercise will assess compliance with the standards of the tasks performed by the units of the 1st Infantry Brigade of the Estonian Division and the North-Eastern Defence District of the Estonian Defence Forces.
This year's Siil exercise will focus on the deployment of additional allied units to Estonia, the reception and integration of these units into the Estonian division, and their immediate combat readiness.
As The Gaze reported earlier, the Estonian parliament (Riigikogu) has passed a law that will sever ties between religious institutions in Estonia and foreign entities deemed a threat to national security - a move widely seen as targeting the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church,